When they said that robots would one day take over the world, few would have guessed it would be an air fryer.
Yet all over the UK, the air fryer is the current appliance king of the castle. It feels as though the cooking gadgets have stolen the limelight in every conversation (and they have) as they make a play for a space on your countertop. Owners are already well-versed in their plus points, telling everyone they’ve ever met about their energy efficiency (cheaper than switching on the oven), how simple they are to operate (many are loaded with helpful pre-sets) and crucially, the crunchy, crispy results they plate up every night, all cooked using just a fraction of the oil - or often none at all.
You may wonder if you need another gadget hogging up precious space in your kitchen, but when it comes to an air fryer, we can unequivocally state these machines are the best thing since sliced bread.
How do air fryers work?
A fan at the top of the unit propels air around the chamber at dizzying speeds to ensure all sides of your ingredients are treated to the same heat. This guarantees crispy results every time, giving you the taste of deep fried with barely any oil used at all.
Air fryers come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit all sorts of households, whether you’re living alone, share with flatmates, or have an army of hungry mouths to feed.
While many have just one large chamber to sling raw ingredients into, there are models with twin baskets to cook two things at once. You can set them to different temperatures and cooking times, perfect if you’re trying to quickly prepare a meal where timing is crucial like a classic Sunday roast or Christmas lunch. Two baskets are also helpful for cooking mains and sides together, ensuring everything arrives on the table piping hot.
Best things to cook in an air fryer
- Frozen fries or freshly cut chips
- Chicken wings
- Meatballs
- Steak
- Burgers
- Frozen pizza
- Brownies
Best air fryer cooking accounts on Instagram
Naturally there are plenty of inspirational cooking accounts to follow on Instagram, too. These guys will show you the magic and possibilities of an art fryer.
If this heightened version of energy efficiency floats your boat, we’ve rounded up the best double drawer air fryers to help you get one delivered faster. Some of the biggest players are in the mix, from Philips and Ninja to Tefal.
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Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer- AF300UK
There’s no second place here; Ninja’s double compartment air fryer allows you to cook your dishes in two ways but finish at the same time. Or you can make double the food at once and feed your friends and family all in one go, particularly helpful for parties and big events like Christmas dinner or summer BBQs.
This air fryer is just one in Ninja’s line-up: the brand also has multi-cookers that can perform various cooking methods all under one roof - air frying included.
Buy now £199.99, Ninja
Tefal Actifry Genius XL 2in1 YV970840 Air Fryer - Black
The cooking zones in Tefal’s unit are stacked instead of sitting side-by-side, resulting in a compact look that will work well for kitchens on the smaller side. A single spoonful of oil is all you need for fantastically crispy results on everything from fries, chicken wings, stews and couscous. This machine includes an intergrated paddle to stir the food while cooking so it will achieve maximum levels of crispiness.
If you’re not sure about air fryer cooking times, a good rule of thumb is to halve the times food would need in a coventional oven. However, this machine eliminates doubt with nine cooking pre-sets to help get your meal ready quickly.
Buy now £264.00, Currys
Salter Dual Air Fryer
Families come together around a table and with an air fryer taking care of dinner you’ll have more time to catch up and less time slaving over a cooker. This XL air fryer runs on 2400W and is made for a crowd, able to serve up double portions as well as cook food at different temperatures to plate up at the same time.
Temperatures in both chambers are adjustable, giving you complete control over each one and you can sync the cooking times to that they finish together, even if cooking at different heats. Once you master the basics of French fries and chicken wings, there’s a recipe guide to help you expand your air fryer repertoire.
Buy now £249.99, Amazon
Tower T17088 9L Dual Basket Vortx Air Fryer - Black
Get ready for 9L of cooking space to crisp up all of your (usually) guilty food pleasures. Using little to no oil, this machine perfectly cooks ingredients up to 30 per cent more quickly than standard ovens, so not only are you eating healthier food, but you’re using less energy to do so too.
The air fryer comes with 12 pre-sets to take the guesswork out of cooking times and each compartment can be operated separately or set to finish cooking together, giving you even more flexibility over dinner time.
Buy now £120.00, Argos
Neo Black Electric 8.5L Digital Air Fryer with Dual Drawer and Glass Viewing Window
Make a meal of it with this 8.5L air fryer that comes with two drawers plus a viewing window made with tempered heat resistant glas so that you can see how your ingredients are cooking without interrupting the process by opening the lid. If you’ve got one large thing to cook, you can remove the divider and use just the one big chamber.
Not only can Neo’s machine air fry, but it’s also able to roast, reheat and dehydrate, ideal for anyone who wants to try making healthy homemade snacks.
Set cooking times on the digital display and get on with other important tasks; the unit will turn off automatically after the countdown so there’s no danger of overcooking your grub.
Buy now £229.99, Neo Direct
Instant Vortex 8-in-1 Dual Air Fryer - 7.6L
With a name as impressive as the food it’ll cook for you and your family, this 7.6L capacity machine will make most of your other appliances redundant.
As well as an air frying function, it has seven more cooking modes and you can use two at the same time for each of the baskets. Use the SyncFinish feature to match cooking settings for get both baskets to finish cooking at the same time.
This is machine you want in your corner when you’re planning a big dinner, family event or party - it can make up to eight portions of food at once. Comes with a company warranty.
Buy now £220.00, Argos
EMtronics EMDAF9LD+ Dual Air Fryer Extra Large
Roast, broil, bake, steam, reheat and air fry your way to culinary glory with the help of this dual drawer air fryer. The programmable machine comes with a selection of eight pre-sets making it simple to operate, while a 99min timer and auto shut-off allows you to cook at your own pace.
Buy now £239.95, Amazon
